The Human Studies and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Core will provide human specimens and clinical data for 9 of the 12 SCOR projects. Its aims are to recruit and evaluate human patients with diseases of interest and normal volunteers, to perform bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on these subjects, to carry out standardized analyses of cell types, proteins, lipids, and angiotensin convertase in these fluids, to supply BAL cells for research in 7 individual projects, and to provide human lung tissue for study in 2 projects. The Core Facility will maintain and manage clinical data related to these specimens for correlation with research results. The Core will perform limited biochemical analyses of rat BAL fluids to achieve economy of expertise and equipment. Human subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, asbestos exposure, silica exposure, and healthy normal volunteers will be studied. The Core will be staffed by three clinicians with extensive experience in human subjects research, diffuse interstitial lung disease, and BAL, and will be supported by a highly skilled and experienced technologist. Automated equipment for many of the lavage analyses is available through this facility. Core C is necessary in order to obtain and process human BAL specimens in a standardized and maximally efficient fashion. The clinical activities of the Core Facility are essential to support the basic science laboratories of the Vermont Pulmonary SCOR.